Saving Severus
by Artemis Virgin Goddess
Summary: "I believe he will pull through. It's hard to tell though, the next few hours are going to be crucial. Without you doing what you did though, Hermione, he would be dead now." Madam Pomfrey stated clearly. *Paused*
1. Finding him

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing and make no profit from this.

**A/N**: I haven't come on for awhile, if anyone noticed but I've come back with this fic and I'm determined to actually finish this one! So enjoy!

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I felt the breath leave my body as I entered the small boathouse on the Great Lake. Blood was everywhere; on the walls, the floor and even on the ceiling. The great snake had done her job but no more. Moving past the rubble from the fighting I moved towards the body clad in black and drenched in blood. As I moved forward I felt something shatter under my shoe. Moving my foot aside I saw a small glass vial, now broken.

Kneeling down I tried my best to get a sniff of what had been in that vial. My thoughts however were interrupted when a faint groan caught my attention. In a flash I was on my feet and across the room towards the body. I pulled him up and flipped him on his back to get a better look at him. I could see that the blood on his neck was still freely flowing, but at a much slower rate.

Pulling out my wand I conjured some makeshift bandages and tried to staunch the flow of blood. He moaned again when I applied pressure but I ignored him. I knew he had to be in a horrible amount of pain but I knew that without the pressure his already slim chances of survival were dwindling even further.

Using my wand again I conjured my patronus and smiled as a bright otter soared from the tip of my wand and into the dark early morning sky, signaling for help. I tucked my wand away and pulled a small kit out of my beaded bag that had somehow managed to survive everything. Unshrinking the kit I pulled a few vials out along with a syringe. I knew that with the shape he was in that he wouldn't be able to swallow the potions. Taking a deep breath I ripped his shirt sleeve up past his elbow, his Dark Mark momentarily taking me by surprise. I knew for years he had one but knowing he had one and then seeing it were two different things. Getting back to the task at hand I tied a rubber band from the kit around his arm above his elbow.

While waiting for a good vein to show itself I quickly used the syringe to administer the potion I had picked out. It was my own recipe that Madam Pomfrey had helped me to perfect; it consisted of a pain potion and a healing potion in one. It wasn't as strong as I would like it to be but for right now it was the best I could do.

Making sure there were no air bubbles in the syringe I found a vein in his forearm and injected it with the potion. After a few seconds I noticed a lot of tension leave his body. His breathing became more easy and even. I smiled knowing I was actually putting my mostly self-taught skills to use. After I removed the band and pulled what remained from his shirt sleeve down to cover the mark I quickly riffled through my bag to find the salve I was looking for.

The ingredients had cost a pretty penny and it was harder than Merlin to concoct but I had managed to create the salve that would help pull out the poison from the snakes bite for the wound to heal. Taking a deep breath I gently laid him down on the ground. As an afterthought I pulled my jumper off and placed it neatly under his head. When that was finished I slowly pulled the makeshift bandage off from his neck. After gently probing I saw that the bleeding had slowed even more, but hadn't stopped. As we had learned the hard way from Mr. Weasley it would not stop because of how the snakes poison worked. Not without the right medicine, anyways.

With shaking hands I gently uncapped the canister that I had stored the salve in and started to gently massage it into his skin around his wound before delving in and generously applying it to the wound itself.

It really wasn't that bad. The bite holes from the snake were rather large, but then the snake had been rather large herself. I shuddered as my mind tried to imagine what it would of felt like to have experienced the pain of the bite. Pushing those thoughts away as quickly as possible I gently reapplied some fresh bandages to his neck.

When I was finished I heard the doors to the boathouse rip open in a hurry. Looking up I found Harry, Ron and another two wizards I didn't know staring at me.

"He's alive?" Ron asked in disbelief. I nodded as I stood up while tucking my kit back into my bag before putting it back into my pocket.

"We need to get him to the Great Hall, Madam Pomfrey needs to tend to him. I've done what I can for now but he needs more than what I can do." I said before helping the two other wizards pick Snape up and move him. When we lifted his body from the ground he immediately let out the loudest groan I had heard from him since I found him. At his groan Harry and Ron nearly ran over to help us move him. We had to move slowly since he was in a lot of pain even with the potion I had administered.

"I still can't believe he survived that. Even after all these hours." Harry muttered as he looked down at the prone body of the once most feared man in all of Hogwart's.

"He's not survived yet." I whispered hoarsely. I instantly regretted my words at the look of sadness that crossed Harry's face.

"Let's hurry and get him to the castle." I said once we left the boathouse. Now that we had more room to move we gently placed him on the ground and I pulled my wand out again to cast the levitation spell on him since it would be easier for us and him to move him.

Running towards the castle the boys pulled the doors open wide to give me enough room to get Snape in. The two wizards disappeared to go help someone else once we reached the doors as another patronus had appeared signaling a need for help.

Entering the Great Hall I couldn't help but once again become overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle that was going on. It was like entering an angry beehive and we were the bear causing the bees distress. Healers from St Mungo's had arrived and were helping wherever they could. Other Healers that had arrived to transfer those seriously wounded to the hospital. And there was another crew of wizards dressed all in red robes removing the bodies of those who had not survived the war.

I ignored the latter and moved towards the center of the room where Madam Pomfrey was ordering people about when she turned and saw me heading towards her with Snape. The look on her face was one of complete shock before she snapped out of it and conjured a cot with her wand and gestured for me to place him on it.

As gently as I could I lowed him to the cot and stood back as she immediately started looking him over.

"I injected the healing and pain potion into his veins about ten minutes ago, he started breathing easier a minute after I did so. I then used the salve for poisonous snake bites around and on the bite that I have secured around his neck." I said softly. Almost too softly but I knew she heard me as she muttered "very good" after I finished talking.

"I believe he will pull through. It's hard to tell though, the next few hours are going to be crucial. Without you doing what you did though, Hermione, he would be dead now." Madam Pomfrey stated clearly.

I simply nodded and let Ron lead me away to Harry who was now holding a sleeping Teddy Lupin, his godson.

The rest of the morning went by in a blur and I even never noticed when I fell asleep in Ron's arms.

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**A/N**: Please review! They're much appreciated! :D


	2. Five years later

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing and make no money from this.

**A/N**: Would just like to thank everyone who has read so far! I hope you all like it! Would also like to thank lbjw0128, TequilaNervous and HPFanGirl01 for their lovely reviews! I hope to get many more! :D

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Five years later

Looking up at the huge castle before me I couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement course though me. I was home! For the first time in almost five years I was back at Hogwart's. Instead of a student this time I was going to be working with Madam Pomfrey for the year before eventually replacing her. Smiling I all but ran up the castle steps in my excitement.

Poppy had owled me a few months back, right after I finished my Healer training, offering me to be her replacement in a year. She was getting older and wanted to spend the rest of her days in Ireland with her family. McGonagall, she wrote, was sad to see her go in a year but knew that the Hogwart's hospital wing would be good in my care. I couldn't help but smile in pride as I remembered Minerva, my old Head of House back when I was in school.

I walked through the doors and entered the Great Hall. I smiled as I saw the ceiling still reflected what the sky was feeling that day, glad to see that some thing never changed. The four tables were still lined up in front of the staff table. A table I never thought that I would be dining at. Realizing this I felt a new wave of excitement course through me.

I was really back! I was here and for the long haul. Years ago, before the war, I had imagined myself as a Auror with Harry and Ron. I never imagined that in a world of turmoil and pain that I would find my true calling as a Healer. Now that the dark days of the war and aftermath were over and there were no seriously wounded to tend to I was happy to finally be able to relax. And I couldn't of been luckier to find myself in my old 'home' to do what I love. Heal and learn.

"Ah, Hermione! There you are, my dear!"

I turned around and found Poppy and Minerva walking towards me from the entrance hall. I smiled and made my way towards them, not having realized I had wandered all the way into the Great Hall. Before I knew what I was doing I had hugged both women tightly before stepping back, now feeling sheepish at my antics.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy to be here and see the both of you well." I laughed nervously.

"Oh posh, dear! We're as happy that you're the one here. If Poppy had asked for anyone less than a replacement I would of made her family move here! But I knew that with you here you might even give Poppy a run for her money." Minerva said as she winked at the current Healer. Poppy just rolled her eyes.

"She may be right about giving me a run for my money, but you still need to learn the ropes here. I'm sure it will be completely different working in this smaller setting than working in a big old hospital." Poppy said smiling brightly.

"Oh, I think I'm up for the challenge." I said smiling back. Both women laughed and I couldn't help but laugh right along with them.

"We know you are. You always have been up to anything thrown your way." Minerva said smiling fondly now.

"Ah, am I interrupting?" came a deep drawl. And I was hit with recognition as to who the owner of that deep baritone was. Though I had not heard his voice in five years I knew it was the man I had help once save.

Looking past Minerva and Poppy, both of whom had turned to face Snape, I saw him for the first time since that night in the boathouse. Surprisingly he didn't look that much different. He didn't have his infamous billowing cloak on which made me smile. Instead he wore a simple black pair of pants and equally just as black high neck shirt. I felt a pang of sadness as I knew the reason for the high neck shirt.

"Hello, Professor." I said giving a small wave. Snape just looked curiously at me before nodding in my direction.

"Actually, Severus, we were just about to get Hermione all settled in." Minerva stated as she smiled at him.

"Oh?" was all Snape said as he looked from Minerva to Poppy.

"She will be training under me for the year and then replace me afterwards." Poppy said smiling brightly.

"I see, well congratulations, Miss Granger. Or is it Mrs. Weasley now? I seem to remember you two had been all over each other in school." Snape muttered. I snorted a very unladylike snort. Poppy and Minerva both looked at me surprised both seemed unsure of whether or not it was okay to laugh.

"Oh goodness no. Not that I don't care about Ron, I do - just not like that. We're just friends." I said.

"Oh really?" Snape asked with a tone that suggested he believed otherwise.

"Really." I said raising my eyebrow towards him.

"Ah well, I need to get going. Ladies, if you'll excuse me." Snape said before turning on his heal and heading down the hall towards the dungeons.

"You know, that was always more impressive as a student with the billowing cloak." I found myself muttering. This time Minerva and Poppy both burst into laughter.

"Oh, Hermione! You're a riot, did I not tell you she would be perfect, Minerva!" Poppy said between giggles. I laughed at Minerva as she puffed out her chest and stood up a bit taller.

"Of course I knew she would be perfect, Poppy! She was top of her class, had the best O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. scores in years _and_ she was in _my_ house!" Minerva stated with pride.

"Oh yes, I did forget about that. Ah well, she's here now and we have so much to prepare for for when school starts next week!" Poppy said as she took a hold of my arm and drug me towards the hospital wing, Minerva trailing behind us before catching up.

* * *

_My whole body ached. My eyes felt sore though they were closed and my mouth was beyond dry. But the one thing that stood out most was the throbbing pain in my neck that outdid all the rest of the pain in my wreck of a body. _

_Somehow I had made it._

_I opened my eyes slowly, one by one. I didn't know why they hurt to move, let alone open, but they did. Maybe it had something to do with the snakes venom? I would have to look into that later. I looked down but was stopped midway as I noticed my neck was tightly wrapped, inhibiting me from looking all the way down. The pain in my body I knew was from the venom and knowing that I couldn't really feel as if anything else was wrong. Just the bite wound and the effects from the poison. _

_Slowly, for moving too fast and too much caused me a great more about of agony, I somehow managed to pull myself up into a sitting position. It took I don't know how long, but after what felt like nearly hours I was sitting up as straight as I could get myself. Resting my head back I sat there like that for a few minutes just trying to catch my breath. Who knew sitting up was so taxing? My arms hurt from lack of use and the poison. After awhile though I raised my head as much as I could and looked around._

_There, on the bedside table only a foot or so away was a fresh glass of water. Condensation was slowly dripping down the side of the cool glass. I could feel my mouth starting to work. It felt like it was trying to salivate at how wonderful I knew that water would taste but I knew it was too dry to actually produce any saliva._

_Slowly I lifted my arm and reached for the cool glass. Once my hand was close enough to grasp it I took the glass in my shaking hand and picked it up. Slowly I moved it towards me but before I knew what had happened the condensation from the glass, making it slick, had caused my weak fingers to let it slip from my grasp. Groaning I mentally cursed myself. I lay my arm back down and closed my eyes._

_I really wanted that fucking water, too._

_A knock sounded on the door. Looking up I saw Poppy enter the room. She looked down at the mess I created and gave me a disapproving tight lipped look that would send children running in terror. But since I happened to be one of the most hated and feared men in Scotland the look didn't quell me in the slightest._

"_Woops." I rasped. Poppy rolled her eyes before cleaning up the mess with a wave of her wand and fixed the glass. Moving towards the bedside table she replenished the glass with fresh water and moved it towards my mouth. _

_From past experience I knew not to try and take the glass from her. Knowing she would only slap my hands away I let her help me drink the cool liquid. I groaned in pleasure as I felt the water flow into my mouth and down my parched throat. Poppy pulled the glass back for a few seconds to let me catch my breath before I nodded for more. This time I drank more deeply._

"_Not too much, you haven't had anything in your stomach for nearly a week." Poppy muttered._

"_I was out for a week?" I sputtered causing water to dribble down my chin._

"_Nearly," Poppy said crossly as she glared at me. _

"_It's only water." I said rolling my eyes._

"_Not the point." she said._

"_So you found me?" _

"_No." Poppy said as she placed the glass back down on the table._

"_No?" I questioned. I watched as she pulled a chair up next to the bed._

"_Miss Granger had gone looking for you." Poppy whispered. _

"_Why?" I asked truly bewildered. _

"_I have no idea. We discovered that you had taken a potion shortly after you were bitten. Did you always know he would have you killed this way?" Poppy asked gently. I shrugged. _

"_I didn't know how he would do it. But eventually I knew it could be a possibility. I just wanted to be prepared. Is that what saved me?" _

"_No, after I fully examined you I discovered that most of the potion didn't even make it to your stomach. What saved you was one determined Gryffindor." _

"_What do you mean?" I asked. _

"_Last year Miss Granger came to me with this idea for a potion she had had. It was a combination of a healing and pain potion. Since she didn't feel as if she could come to you with it she came to me. I can't help but wonder as to why that was, anyhow I helped her with it. I thought that the potion was wonderful. She was happy with it but felt as if it wasn't as strong as she had wanted it to be. _

_Well, she found you and administered the potion to you using a syringe. It was probably better she did it that way anyways, straight into the blood. After that she used a salve she came across and brewed that draws poison out of the blood and helps heal the affected wound. When she was done with that she bandaged you as well as she could and then brought you to me. _

_If she had found you any later you would have died. If she had found you when she did but then didn't know to do what she did then you would have died. I simply took over in the rest of your care but you owe your life to that young lady."_

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I leaned back in my chair in my private rooms. They were dark, like my personality and my mood. I didn't want to be around anyone at the moment. Especially _her._ I owed my life to that slip of a woman. But as bitter as that thought may be I was eternally grateful. My life wasn't what I wanted. It wasn't as meaningful as others lives were but nonetheless I was grateful to live. I never expected to live through this second war. Didn't feel like I deserved to.

I pulled down the high neck on my shirt and absently touched the two large scars that now resided there. I could of made myself a potion to rid myself of the scars. Could of easily done so. But I kept them. I wanted a reminder as to why I was changing the things I did and where I came from. Just like the mark on my arm. It was a reminder of the dark that was in me. The dark that was still there. But damnit, I wanted to let some light in.

Desperately so.

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A/N: Lemme know how you guys liked this chapter! :D


	3. Moon lilies

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing and make no profit from this.

**A/N**: I would like to thank you all for reading! I would also like to thank HarryPGinnyW4eva, lbjw0128 and TequilaNervous for reviewing! I loved reading them all!

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The week before school had started had gone by in a blur. I had learned what kind of potions were mostly used and what were not. I had learned what was okay to ask Snape for ingredient and potion wise and what I needed to order and brew myself. I also found myself blushing as I found out about all the potions I had no use for for when I was in school. Contraception potions and the like.

Since Poppy and I had been working late into the night while preparing for when classes would start I hadn't had a chance yet to claim my new seat at the staff table. Minerva said that until the first day of classes when I would introduced to the school that it didn't really matter right now that I wasn't there at nights. Instead Winky brought Poppy and myself our dinners in the hospital wing.

"We need to stock one more potion, but before we can brew it we need some moon lily petals. Since tonight is a full moon I was waiting to gather them in the forest since they're better fresh." Poppy said as she looked around at the mess that was the hospital wing's private labs.

"If it's easier I can go. I've collected them before so I know what to look for." I said as I pulled my ruined apron off and placed it on the table. A look of relief formed on Poppy's face.

"Oh will you? That would help me out so much!" Poppy gushed.

"Of course!" I said laughing.

"Wonderful, while you're doing that I shall get the potions started. We need about three dozen lilies to make enough potions." Poppy said as she thought about yes.

"So three dozen?" I asked just to make sure. My question seemed to throw her off for a moment before she came back to reality.

"Oh, yes. Three dozen should be sufficient." Poppy said smiling.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit then." I said nodding towards the window at the now setting sun. "If I leave now by the time I get down to the forest then the moon should be nice and high in the sky."

"Good thinking. I'll have dinner waiting for when you return." Poppy said as she headed towards the back of the lab to the cupboard that held all the potion ingredients.

I headed out of the lab, grabbing a wicker basket on my way out to carry the lilies in. Before heading out to the forest I headed to my new rooms to grab a cloak. It was fall now and the nights were getting colder. Though I was wearing long sleeves and jeans I knew my clothes wouldn't keep out the chill of the forbidden forest.

I grabbed my new black cloak and headed down towards the entrance hall. As I left I found Snape and Minerva speaking quieting towards the main doors. I nodded towards them but didn't stop to chat.

"Professors," I said before I passed them and headed out the doors.

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I couldn't help but watch her as she passed us by. I knew Minerva was watching me but I didn't feel like caring at the moment. Her long curly hair, not the messy frizzy mass I remembered it to be, was pulled back from her alabaster skin showing her rosy cheeks and pert lips. She smiled as she passed, formally greeting us. I just stared while Minerva nodded to her.

"Severus, are you going to say something to her?" Minerva asked, her voice interrupting my thoughts.

"What was that, Minerva?" I asked knowing full well what she had said.

"Are you going to say something to her?"

"Why ever would I?" I asked feigning ignorance as to what she referred.

"Men. You're all impossible. I shall see you tomorrow." Minerva huffed before turning on her heal and heading towards the Headmistresses chambers. I rolled my eyes but then felt like kicking myself. Minerva was right, I needed to thank Miss Granger. But the only problem was I didn't know how. I went most of my life avoiding having to be in the debt of others but now it seemed that this woman held that power over me.

And I didn't like it. Not one damned bit.

* * *

I didn't have to look for the lilies long. Having gone through the forest many times while a student here at Hogwart's I knew the area. I found the lilies on an open little hill in the forest, the flowers were straight and tall as if they were reaching for the moon. I smiled when I saw them, they were truly one of the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen.

From my pocket I withdrew a small pair of scissors. You had to cut the lily stems as if pruning the flower. If you didn't then the flower wound die, never to grow and bloom again. It was a tender plant but I knew how to get what I needed from it without causing too much damage.

Kneeling I started working on acquiring the three dozen lilies needed for the potion.

"I see Poppy has you working on your knees now." came a deep drawl.

"Or it would seem I just volunteered for the job." I said not bothering to look up as Snape came into the small clearing.

"Indeed. That I can believe, you as well as your friends always seemed to have a thirst for danger." Snape muttered as he watched me prune the flowers.

"I never craved danger." I found myself saying before I could stop myself. Apparently my brain didn't have a mouth filter.

"Your actions from all your years at school would suggest otherwise."

"Did it ever occur to you that I might have just been that unlucky?" I asked.

"Possibly. Why not just be with other friends that weren't such a hazard to your health?" Snape said as he crouched down next to me and started pruning some flowers of his own.

I had been wondering why he followed me out here. I found myself now blushing at my realization that we just happened to be heading to the same place.

"I didn't have any other friends, Professor." I whispered as I ran my fingers through my collected flowers, counting them. Not enough yet but I was nearly half way there.

He didn't say anything more and I myself stayed quiet. I didn't like where the conversation had started and I didn't want to provoke it any further. Snape was a private man who didn't share his thoughts and I didn't feel like sharing mine at the moment.

"Why did you come back for me?" Snape asked after a few minutes.

I looked up, surprised. I thought we were just going to ignore each other for the rest of the night. I didn't realize how close we were now. Just a foot apart. I don't think he realized either for he seemed to shift uncomfortably. Sighing I laid down my basket and sat down on the cold ground.

"I had always believed you were never truly evil. Even after you had killed Dumbledore. I always had this feeling that somehow we didn't know everything. In the end when you gave Harry those memories and he told us you were innocent of everything did I truly know for sure what was going on. After Harry killed Voldermort and we were looking around at all the death and people suffering did I remember you were down in the boathouse.

After everything I knew you had done to help us and others I knew I couldn't just leave you down there. Ron tried to get me to leave you down there, telling me there was no way you were going to be alive after that. Harry distracted him for me while I ran down to find you. He feels like he owes you, you know. Harry will always be eternally grateful to you." I said looking up from my fidgeting hands.

Snape was standing now, looking away from me. He had a far away look on his shocked face.

"You still believed in me after everything?" he whispered harshly after a minute of awkward silence.

"Yes," I whispered back.

"Why? I gave you no reason to. Gave no one reason to." Snape asked confusion in his eyes as he looked at me.

"I don't know." I said shrugging.

"Thank you."

"For what?" I asked, it being my turn to be confused.

"Saving me." Snape whispered looking away into the distance once again.

I opened my mouth trying to find something to say but failing miserably. I closed it and then managed to stand up. I had more than enough lilies now and it was getting late. I grabbed my basket and looked up to bid him goodnight but finding that he had already gone.

Sighing I rolled my eyes and headed back towards the castle muttering to myself.

* * *

I didn't understand.

It wasn't an often occurrence where I didn't understand something. I had graduated top of my class, had the best O.W.L and N.E.W.T. scores in years but I didn't understand this woman. This woman who had still believed in me when no one else did. And she had no reason other than a feeling as to why that was.

No one had ever believed in me. Guilty or not, no one. When Lily had died and I turned spy for Dumbledore he knew me for what I was. A traitor to my cause all because I was weak. He didn't rub the salt in my wounds with that knowledge but he did try and help me become a better person because of my personal sacrifice. After years and years of working with him and for him a trust built between us and I saw him more as the father figure I never had. Sure my father had been around but I would of rather of had no father than one who was as evil as he was. If not for my father, the stupid muggle, I probably would not have had made the choices I did when I was young.

The choices that nearly cost me my life.

Sighing I made my way to my private rooms. I needed some brandy and I needed it now. This chit was turning out to be more trouble than I felt she was worth. But something struck me about Miss Granger. Something innocent and true. I had no idea what it was. Didn't know if I even wanted to know what it was once I did figure it out. But figure it out I would.

Feeling the burn of the brandy as it slid down my throat was like mothers milk at the moment for me. It was just what I needed. Taking another sip of the fowl brew I for once let myself slump into my chair, sighing at it's comfort. This I needed. Silence and space.

But I couldn't help but feel something gnawing at me. Some hunger that I didn't know how to feed. I didn't feel it when I was in the forest with Miss Granger. I didn't know what that meant either.

Women were so damned confusing.

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**A/N**: So watcha all think? :D


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